EU-Faroe Islands Herring Dispute Now Over

EU and FAROE ISLANDS - A week after the EU lifted its trade measures against the Faroe Islands on herring and mackerel, EU Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki received the Minister of Fisheries of the Faroe Islands, Mr Jacob Vestergaard, in Athens.

At a press point held after their meeting, Commissioner Damanaki made it clear that “the herring dispute is over” which was “good news for all sides”.

Over the past year, the EU and the Faroe Islands had disagreements about the sustainable management of mackerel, Atlanto Scandian herring and blue whiting in the North East Atlantic.

As a consequence of the disproportionate catch limits unilaterally adopted by Faroe Islands for herring in 2013 which put in danger the sustainability of the stocks, the Commission responded with a prohibition to import herring and mackerel from the Faroe Islands in August 2013.

This summer, the Faroe Islands agreed to end their unsustainable fishery, which led the EU to lift its measures.

Commissioner Damanaki stated that she agreed with the Minister that sustainable fisheries in the North-East Atlantic was a “common objective” of both sides.

Future catch limits would have to be agreed among all five coastal states involved in this fishery in the North-East Atlantic.